The more and more I got into the Reading/Reviewing/Writing World, the more the word Indie Books came across me. And I wondered, what the heck are Indie Books? They turned out to be self-published books. Oh-oh… beware of Self-published books. Things like “They are bad and just plain trash.” And “Don’t EVER read self-published works” usually come along when talking about Indie Books. And for those of you who write and seek to be published, I’m sure you’ve also come across with “Don’t EVER EVER EVER go self-published. It’s the worst thing you could do!”
And you get your mind wrapped up around the fact that Indie Books are works published by people that didn’t knew how to write and just wanted to get published. And that Indie Authors are just people that “think” they can write.
So when I got my first offer you review and Indie Book, I was more than hesitant, but finally gave in. The book blew my mind off!. I wasn’t expecting at all what I read. It was a REALLY great book that even became one of my favorites. Slowly I began to enter the world of Indie Books, and I have encountered Amazing, talented and brilliant authors, with stories that deserve to be known. And I wonder, why is it that this books don’t get “Officially published” why can’t people see just how much they are worth? It’s frustrating.
This is why the Indie Spotlight was created, because we want to let everyone know about Indie Authors and their value. Most of them just weren’t given the chance, for this or for that, or because it was just the wrong time – I say most because I don’t doubt there are bad Indie book out there but, so far I’ve only encountered good ones :))
Indie Authors are mostly just like any other Published Author, just waiting to be fully discovered and come out. Most of them have the talent and the stories, they just need a chance.
The In Between Blog supports Indie Writers.
Interview with an Indie Writer - K.C. Blake
Check Out this Posts by K.C. Blake!
Interview with an Indie Writer - K.C. Blake
1.- I’ve seen a lot of talent in the Indie World. In general, why do you think that these pieces get rejected? Bad timing or rotten luck?
K.C. B.: It's hard to say what goes wrong when there are good books not being published and some stuff that is awful hitting the bestseller list. I imagine it is bad luck in part, but I can only truly speak for myself. Although I had the idea for Vampires Rule years ago, I didn't finish it until after the release of Twilight. I found an agent who loved the book, but she couldn't find a publisher. A few editors told us they didn't want to risk putting out another 'vampire book' in a market already saturated with them.
2.- What are the biggest challenges you’ve encountered being an Indie Author?
K.C. B.: There's the marketing for one. I hate it. On some sites people refer to it as 'pimping your novel,' and that's exactly what it feels like. Talking about my work does not come naturally to me. It's been hard. Also, I've had problems with people online and off who think self-published books have to be garbage because otherwise they would have a 'real' publisher. Sometimes I'm talking to someone and they seem excited about my book until I mention that it's at Smashwords. Once they learn it is a self-published book, their eyes glaze over and they seem less than happy to be talking to me.
3.- In your Blog you mentioned you had preconceived Ideas about Indie Writers. What were they?
K.C. B.: I guess I felt the same way about them. The fact is that a lot of self-published authors (at least in the past) had horrible books with little to no editing, plots that didn't make sense, and covers that looked like a five-year-old slapped it together. They don't call them 'vanity presses' for nothing. I think the problem was a lot of those people wrote books on a whim. They didn't want to dedicate their lives to writing, take the time to learn their craft, or pay their dues. Because of a few bad examples, I thought all self-published books were junk. Now I know different.
4.- What made you take the final jump to go Indie?
Like I said above, I had an agent and she tried her best to find a home for Vampires Rule. Unfortunately my timing was off. One editor even told me she would have been happy to publish the book had I sent it to her a couple years earlier. Becoming an Indie Writer seemed the best way to go.
5.- Now you are immersed in this world, what is your conclusion about Indie Authors and their work?
K.C. B.: Now I see that writers and their books need to be judged on a case by case basis. There are some good books on the shelves and some terrible ones. The same can be said about self-published works. There are some good and some bad. Individual readers need to be the judge of what they think is good. Hopefully more and more people will start giving self-published books a shot.
6.- What words would you like to say to other Indie Writers, any advice?
K.C. B.: Take your time. Don't just throw the book together and upload it. Edit it over and over again. Have other people look for mistakes, and start marketing early.
7.- And to the bloggers, how can we know when to trust in Indie Books?
K.C. B.: Fortunately Smashwords usually allows a person to download a sample of the book. In my case, you can try five or six chapters, read them, and then decide if you want to buy it. I wouldn't just blindly trust an Indie book, but I would be willing to read a sampling before making a decision.
8.- Last but Not Least, are you proud to be a YA Urban Fantasy writer?
K.C. B.: Yes, I am. I have loved YA for years and if I can give back even a fraction of the joy these books have brought to my life, then my work is done.
Check Out this Posts by K.C. Blake!
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